Content Area(s): Life Science Topic: Scientist trying to clone a Mammoth Short description: Within the next five years, Japanese and Russian scientists hope to clone the woolly mammoth using the DNA from a frozen thigh bone found in Siberia.
Claim: Scientists might be able to clone the extinct woolly mammoth within the next five years.
Keywords: DNA, implant, clone Difficulty of Concept: Easy
MS-LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
MS-LS1-1. Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.
MS-ETS1 Engineering Design
MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy
RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations descriptions.
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts and reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational text to support analysis, reflection and research.
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Vocabulary Words: extinct
Topic of Game Introduction Video: Evaluating a Claim (Accept, Reject, Withhold Judgment) Description/Application of Game Introduction Video:
This brief movie is used to introduce the concept of evaluating the believability of a claim (whether to accept, reject or withhold judgment of a claim) before playing the scenario about cloning mammoths in the Reason Racer game. Deciding to accept a claim as true based on strong evidence given, to reject a claim as untrue based on weak evidence given, or to withhold judgment on a claim because not enough evidence is given is a component of scientific argumentation. It requires students to consider all evidence given about a claim, draw a conclusion and provide an explanation statement that addresses the quality of evidence or quality of reasoning or the need for further information. Students should be encouraged to share their ideas about the believability of a claim and also listen to the ideas of their peers. They can learn to respect the ideas and interpretations about accepting or rejecting a claim even if they do not agree with their peers. Link to Game Introduction Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFMFCYOi7sY
Full Text of Article:
Scientists hope to clone a woolly mammoth within the next five years. They will attempt to bring back this species that has been extinct for about 10,000 years. These scientists plan use DNA from a well preserved, frozen, mammoth carcass recently uncovered in Siberia. They will inject the DNA into the egg of an elephant and then use the elephant itself to carry the little mammoth to maturity.
Though the past efforts to clone a mammoth have failed, a team of scientists from Japan and Russia hope that new developments will lead them to success this time. Past efforts have failed in part because the mammoth DNA used was not in good enough condition and because scientists were unable to use the frozen DNA. This time, the scientists will use cells form an extremely well preserved mammoth thigh bone found frozen in Siberia. They will also use a new technique for using frozen DNA. This technique was developed by Akira Iritani from Kyoto University who successfully used it to clone a mouse from tissue frozen for 16 years. The extinct species, the ibex, was also cloned using frozen DNA but it only lived for seven minutes.
This project is not without controversy and there are still many obstacles to overcome but scientists are confident they will succeed. "Recreating extinct organisms is definitely within reason," researcher Hendrik Poinar, an evolutionary geneticist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, told LiveScience. "It will be possible."
Title: Return of the Mammoth
Content Area(s): Life ScienceTopic: Scientist trying to clone a Mammoth
Short description: Within the next five years, Japanese and Russian scientists hope to clone the woolly mammoth using the DNA from a frozen thigh bone found in Siberia.
Claim: Scientists might be able to clone the extinct woolly mammoth within the next five years.
Keywords: DNA, implant, clone
Difficulty of Concept: Easy
Reading Level (Pit Stop 8 Article):
Flesch Reading Ease: 51.6Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 10.6
Lexile: 1210
Next Generation Science Standards:
MS-LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and ProcessesMS-LS1-1. Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.
MS-ETS1 Engineering Design
MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/LiteracyRST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations descriptions.
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts and reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational text to support analysis, reflection and research.
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Vocabulary Words: extinct
Topic of Game Introduction Video: Evaluating a Claim (Accept, Reject, Withhold Judgment)
Description/Application of Game Introduction Video:
This brief movie is used to introduce the concept of evaluating the believability of a claim (whether to accept, reject or withhold judgment of a claim) before playing the scenario about cloning mammoths in the Reason Racer game. Deciding to accept a claim as true based on strong evidence given, to reject a claim as untrue based on weak evidence given, or to withhold judgment on a claim because not enough evidence is given is a component of scientific argumentation. It requires students to consider all evidence given about a claim, draw a conclusion and provide an explanation statement that addresses the quality of evidence or quality of reasoning or the need for further information. Students should be encouraged to share their ideas about the believability of a claim and also listen to the ideas of their peers. They can learn to respect the ideas and interpretations about accepting or rejecting a claim even if they do not agree with their peers.
Link to Game Introduction Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFMFCYOi7sY
Full Text of Article:
Scientists hope to clone a woolly mammoth within the next five years. They will attempt to bring back this species that has been extinct for about 10,000 years. These scientists plan use DNA from a well preserved, frozen, mammoth carcass recently uncovered in Siberia. They will inject the DNA into the egg of an elephant and then use the elephant itself to carry the little mammoth to maturity.Though the past efforts to clone a mammoth have failed, a team of scientists from Japan and Russia hope that new developments will lead them to success this time. Past efforts have failed in part because the mammoth DNA used was not in good enough condition and because scientists were unable to use the frozen DNA. This time, the scientists will use cells form an extremely well preserved mammoth thigh bone found frozen in Siberia. They will also use a new technique for using frozen DNA. This technique was developed by Akira Iritani from Kyoto University who successfully used it to clone a mouse from tissue frozen for 16 years. The extinct species, the ibex, was also cloned using frozen DNA but it only lived for seven minutes.
This project is not without controversy and there are still many obstacles to overcome but scientists are confident they will succeed. "Recreating extinct organisms is definitely within reason," researcher Hendrik Poinar, an evolutionary geneticist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, told LiveScience. "It will be possible."
References/Sources:
Additional Content:
- Videos
- Cloning 101 (6:04) a little dry but contains easily understood information http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0B9Bn1WW_4
- Wooly Mammoth Clones Soon to Be? (3:33) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ7f-C83X2Y
- Lesson Plans
- The Clone Age - Objective: Students will understand that there are practical and ethical arguments in favor of cloning and against cloning. Debate http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/the-clone-age.cfm
- Other - Cartoon: http://www.lab-initio.com/250dpi/nz034.jpg
Author: Cindy Wilbur